| Hello Again, Romantics , it's Robin! As I sit in the recliner typing this newsletter, the doors are open, and a delightful Florida spring breeze is flowing through the house. The pond behind our house is hosting two alligators which makes all of us keep our binoculars at hand for a closer look as they sun themselves on the bank. Being a Kansas City girl, I never take Florida winters and springs for granted. And, while I still feel like Kansas City is home sometimes, we will soon celebrate our fifth year of full time Florida residency. And, having our oldest daughter, her husband and our two grandsons living nearby certainly adds a sense of belonging. This year, after working full time for over 35 years, I have decreased my “day job” to a four-day week. Paul and I are hopeful that this writing thing will continue to grow. For that to happen, the business needs a bit more TLC. We schedule weekly meetings (often at the beach) and I am picking up more of the load on the marketing side. And, you know what? It is HARD work. That is why we never take our loyal readers for granted. We LOVE that you love our books! Our niche of being a couple who lives, loves, and writes is a real thing, and we are so grateful that YOU are with us at the ground level. We are hopeful for that one viral video or ad that makes the difference. Certainly, the Hallmark movie was a surreal experience for all of us. THANK YOU for being with us each step of the way. If you know others who love holiday romance, please share our name with them – it is mostly word of mouth that has gotten us this far. In a few months we will celebrate Christmas in July with the release of our first holiday romance of the year. We have lots of fun stuff planned, so check our Facebook page and share it with your friends. More information to come about live sessions, free stuff, and a few surprises along the way. And as always, you can email me here . Our Pick of Pix - Two Tired Boys! Last Friday was a day off school for Milo and Fletcher. But since Mom and Dad didn't get a day off, the boys spent Thursday evening and all day Friday with MiMi and Pop Pop. Friday's itinerary included rollerblading in the park, a couple hours of swimming, lunch at Burger King, and the boys' first visit to a comic book store where they got to pick out one each. This picture was taken at 4PM that afternoon. Do you think its safe to say that a good time was had by all? Amy's World Famous Taco Salad Readers of our Garland Grove Holiday Romance series will immediately recognize Nurse Amy Bennett's World Famous Taco Salad. It's a family favorite at our house, and I hope it becomes one at yours, too! And with Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, you'll be all set! Ingredients: 1 lb. lean ground beef (or more for a larger crowd) 2-3 cloves garlic (I used the minced in the plastic bottle and give it a good squeeze). 1 sweet onion 1/4 cup Sweet hot jalapenos with some of the juice from the jar (use more if you like it hot). ½ bunch cilantro, chopped 1 pkg. taco seasoning 1 lime, juiced 1 small jar chunky salsa (temp to your liking). Shredded or chopped lettuce 1 tomato, chopped 1 pkg. Cheddar jack cheese, grated (whatever cheese you like will work) Black olives, if you like (I don’t) 1/2 bag Doritos, crushed (I use the purple bag, sweet chili, but use what you like) 1 bottle Catalina dressing (you won’t likely use the whole bottle) Preparation: Brown the ground beef with the garlic, onion, jalapenos and cilantro. Once browned, add in the taco seasoning, lime juice and chunky salsa. Let simmer. In a bowl, layer the lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Add the crushed Doritos, hot meat, and Catalina dressing (amount to your liking – maybe ½ the bottle or less). Mix it all up with a large spoon. Use remaining Doritos to garnish. Tip : This is best when all ingredients are prepared ahead, and you mix them together right before you are ready to eat. It does not heat up well after it is mixed– I usually make small batches and then more if needed (which is almost always). Tip #2 : This is how I prepare ground beef for any kind of Mexican dish. It's great in tacos or burritos as well. Hey from Lucy! Always on their electronic devices, these kids today! Spotlight on... National Donate Life Month! Organ and tissue donation is a very personal thing for us. Paul's vision was restored from near-blindness after he received cornea transplants in 1988. If you don't know his story, or want to read about it again, here's a post he wrote back in 2017 . It is our wish that you'll read it, then sign up to become an organ and tissue donor. You really can make a difference! That's all for now. Be sure to add us to your contacts so you won't miss future newsletters. See you soon! Love, Robin Paul |
Hello Again, Romantics, it's Robin!
As I sit in the recliner typing this newsletter, the doors are open, and a delightful Florida spring breeze is flowing through the house. The pond behind our house is hosting two alligators which makes all of us keep our binoculars at hand for a closer look as they sun themselves on the bank. Being a Kansas City girl, I never take Florida winters and springs for granted. And, while I still feel like Kansas City is home sometimes, we will soon celebrate our fifth year of full time Florida residency. And, having our oldest daughter, her husband and our two grandsons living nearby certainly adds a sense of belonging.
This year, after working full time for over 35 years, I have decreased my “day job” to a four-day week. Paul and I are hopeful that this writing thing will continue to grow. For that to happen, the business needs a bit more TLC. We schedule weekly meetings (often at the beach) and I am picking up more of the load on the marketing side. And, you know what? It is HARD work. That is why we never take our loyal readers for granted. We LOVE that you love our books! Our niche of being a couple who lives, loves, and writes is a real thing, and we are so grateful that YOU are with us at the ground level. We are hopeful for that one viral video or ad that makes the difference. Certainly, the Hallmark movie was a surreal experience for all of us. THANK YOU for being with us each step of the way. If you know others who love holiday romance, please share our name with them – it is mostly word of mouth that has gotten us this far.
In a few months we will celebrate Christmas in July with the release of our first holiday romance of the year. We have lots of fun stuff planned, so check our Facebook page and share it with your friends. More information to come about live sessions, free stuff, and a few surprises along the way.
And as always, you can email me here.
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Our Pick of Pix - Two Tired Boys! | |
Last Friday was a day off school for Milo and Fletcher. But since Mom and Dad didn't get a day off, the boys spent Thursday evening and all day Friday with MiMi and Pop Pop. Friday's itinerary included rollerblading in the park, a couple hours of swimming, lunch at Burger King, and the boys' first visit to a comic book store where they got to pick out one each.
This picture was taken at 4PM that afternoon. Do you think its safe to say that a good time was had by all?
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Amy's World Famous Taco Salad
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Readers of our Garland Grove Holiday Romance series will immediately recognize Nurse Amy Bennett's World Famous Taco Salad. It's a family favorite at our house, and I hope it becomes one at yours, too! And with Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, you'll be all set!
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef (or more for a larger crowd)
2-3 cloves garlic (I used the minced in the plastic bottle and give it a good squeeze).
1 sweet onion
1/4 cup Sweet hot jalapenos with some of the juice from the jar (use more if you like it hot).
½ bunch cilantro, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lime, juiced
1 small jar chunky salsa (temp to your liking).
Shredded or chopped lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
1 pkg. Cheddar jack cheese, grated (whatever cheese you like will work)
Black olives, if you like (I don’t)
1/2 bag Doritos, crushed (I use the purple bag, sweet chili, but use what you like)
1 bottle Catalina dressing (you won’t likely use the whole bottle)
Preparation:
Brown the ground beef with the garlic, onion, jalapenos and cilantro. Once browned, add in the taco seasoning, lime juice and chunky salsa. Let simmer.
In a bowl, layer the lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Add the crushed Doritos, hot meat, and Catalina dressing (amount to your liking – maybe ½ the bottle or less). Mix it all up with a large spoon. Use remaining Doritos to garnish.
Tip: This is best when all ingredients are prepared ahead, and you mix them together right before you are ready to eat. It does not heat up well after it is mixed– I usually make small batches and then more if needed (which is almost always).
Tip #2: This is how I prepare ground beef for any kind of Mexican dish. It's great in tacos or burritos as well.
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Always on their electronic devices, these kids today! | |
Spotlight on... National Donate Life Month! | |
Organ and tissue donation is a very personal thing for us. Paul's vision was restored from near-blindness after he received cornea transplants in 1988. If you don't know his story, or want to read about it again, here's a post he wrote back in 2017.
It is our wish that you'll read it, then sign up to become an organ and tissue donor. You really can make a difference!
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That's all for now. Be sure to add us to your contacts so you won't miss future newsletters. See you soon! Love, Robin Paul | |
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